Author Interview: Peggy Bechko

Self Published Authors is pleased to present to you Peggy Bechko, an author with tons of experience and success.  She's done a bit of everything and I'd say she's done herself proud!  Welcome Peggy! 

Author Name: Peggy Bechko (aka P.A. Bechko)

Book Title:  Cloud Dancer

Book Price: $5.97

Where can we find Cloud Dancer? 

Cloud Dancer - Kindle     http://amzn.to/ptlq8A

Cloud Dancer - Smashwords    http://bit.ly/mSefTW

Cloud Dancer - All Romance Ebooks  http://bit.ly/ozgQlc

 Tell us a little bit about the basis of Cloud Dancer and how you came to create it.

Cloud Dancer is set in the 16th century - the era of the Spanish arrival in what is now New Mexico.  The history of those times is brutal, war and conquest.  There were Indian alliances of which history takes little interest such as the more war like Apache connecting with the more peaceful Pueblo Indians after the Pueblos asked the Apache for help to learn to fight wars.  Since I live in New Mexico the history fascinates me and I plunged into research.  Cloud Dancer - the love between a Pueblo maiden and Apache warrior White Hawk was the result.  Their painful separation, joyful reuniting and their determination to be together despite vast cultural differences among their own peoples and the encroaching Spanish threat.

It sounds like you love to write in several different genres.  Which one is your favorite?

LOL, that's a loaded question!  My favorite changes, depending what I'm working on but I'll admit a love for Sci/Fi Fantasy and Paranormal in addition to the historic tale.  And I love screenwriting in addition to books.  It really teaches a writer to write tight.

 What do you personally feel makes a "great" author?

One who writes! Kidding, but just a little.  Writers must apply butt to chair and write or he/she is just a 'wanabe'.  It takes a lot of determination and a tough hide to persist and publish.  That, alone, is quite the accomplishment.  But on another level, it seems to me a 'great' author is one who can tell a gripping tale, hold the reader in the palm of his/her  hand and come through time after time with a great and satisfying ending that makes the reader want more.

I know that you're both a traditional and self-published author.  Care you share some insight into how you market your books?

Any way I can!   I use a lot of social marketing via twitter http://www.twitter.com/PeggyBechko ,  facebook (which still needs some work - need to figure that out some more http://www.facebook.com/profile-php?id+1458015997 ) , LinkedIn  http://www.linkedIn.com/in/PeggyBechko, write my own blog at http://www.PeggyBechko.blogspot.com and seek out places where I can place ads at reasonable rates.  I also look for folks such as yourself who enjoy giving writers a platform as well as book reviewers. Always looking for new ways to get the word out.

Have you grown as an author over the years?

Very much so.  I don't know a writer who doesn't.  Your work, the more you do it, takes on a life of its own and evolves.  My writing is much different now that when I began and my first novel was a western published by Doubleday when I was 22.

Are you working on a new book at the moment?

Yes - always!  Currently I'm about 3/4 through the first draft of my paranormal romance tentatively titled "Serpent's Tail".  I'm one of those writers who don’t like to talk much about the actual story in advance because it seems to expend some of the story-telling energy if I do.

What's one unique fact about yourself that your readers might like to know?

I started writing very young - about 14 and after a roller coaster ride of drafting my Godmother as reader, getting an agent and having the agency go belly up before a sale, I emerged through a stroke of luck with an agent from that defunct agency who sold my first Western to Doubleday and I was published when I was 22 for the first time.

Do you have any advice for people who are just starting out in the publishing world?

Persistence.  You've probably heard it a thousand times before, but persistence is the cornerstone of a writer's career.  Whether going the traditional route, trying to break into screenwrtiting or publishing and promoting your own work, persistence is the key.  You have to work at it every day, celebrate the good and learn to cope gracefully with the not so good. Learn from everyone you can, but don't expect any one person to give you the answers. You're on a treasure hunt, take what you can use and keep moving forward.

Author Bio:

Peggy Bechko , aka P.A Bechko  is author of fourteen novels that have been sold to major publishers in several genres;  western, romance and SciFi/fantasy: Blown To Hell, The Winged Warrior, Cloud Dancer, Dark Side of Love, Stormrider, Gunman’s Justice, Sidewinder’s Trail, Hawke’s Indians and more.   Published in hardcover, paperback, audio and Ebook formats, her  books have been published with Doubleday, Harlequin, Pinnacle and Thorndike Press as well as The FictionWorks (www.fictionworks.com)  online and others.  Her books have been reprinted internationally and currently Peggy is anticipating the release of her book, Stormrider,  by publisher Zorba in hardcopy edition on the Indian subcontinent in 2011 which will include publication in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal,  and Sri Lanka.

Her spec  screenplays have been optioned domestically and abroad, her screenplay titled Replica (formerly Spitting Image) climbed to a high ranking place in two well-known competitions while one of her short stories, Skykicker took two first place prizes in competition.  She’s also written a produced episode of a 1/2 hour animated series, Diabolik, for Saban Entertainment.

               

Peggy is also a ghostwriter having ghosted a full-length movie script, a screen treatment and a non-fiction book.  She’s published articles with her own byline (travel articles, articles on writing, biographical article) in a number of areas digitally and in hard copy.   

               

Over the years Peggy has taught writing in different venues as well.  On the ground she’s taught workshops locally.  Online, she’s taught Romance writing with UCLA Online Extension and she is currently putting together a new class to be taught online.    

Awards and Acknowledgements:

2011   - Finalist - Golobal Ebook Awards - Stormrider

http://bitly.com/9R0Gcn

·         Replica (formerly Spitting Image) placed in the quarterfinals of the Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting

And

                semi-finals of the Writers Foundation sponsored America’s Best screenwriting competition.

·         2007: 

First Place

Writer In The Machine Short Story Contest – “Skykicker”

·         2003: 

First Place

Art Affair Literary Contest – Western Short Story – “Skykicker”

·         Judge for Western Writers of America’s Golden Spur award in 1980’s

International Editions published in:

                Germany

                Switzerland,

                Belgium,

                Italy,

                Brazil,

                New Zealand

                Australia,

                Holland,

                Great Britain

                Sweden

                Canada

                France

book

Author Interview: Tony Thorne MBE

Self Published Authors is proud to introduce a new, amazingly fascinating, Tony Thorne MBE.  Take a look at his author bio to read about Tony’s life story.  He’s got years of experience that I feel you will greatly benefit from by following Tony’s website!

Author Name: Tony Thorne MBE

Book Title: TENERIFE TALL TALES Volume 1

Book Price: $12.95 paperback, $ 5.70 eBook version. – but less in some outlets.

Where can your book be purchased? Amazon Books, B & N, WH Smith, Createspace, Smashwords etc.

Book Description: Seventeen tall SF, Fantasy & Macabre Tales, set in, around and even under, that magical Canary Island where anything can happen and often does!

Book Review:  An exotic island, one of the Canary Islands, Tenerife certainly seems like an appropriate place for adventure. And when a scientist and design engineer with a taste for Science Fiction decides to set his speculative tall tales there, amazing adventures do, indeed, ensue.  Set, for the most part, in the near future, the tales use very believable twists on emergent technology, sometimes ours and sometimes possibly from some other place entirely.

What Thorne creates on Tenerife is a world where the reader never knows what to expect under the sea, in caves, on the land and in the air. The island becomes, in various tales, a land where animals act as intelligently as humans, where attempts to handle environmental issues have very unexpected results, where exotic locations and experimental science create sometimes dark, sometimes humorous, and always amazing and utterly intriguing results.

Tony Thorne's grasp of the science that looms just over the horizon and his love for Science Fiction come together, in these stories, to create speculative fiction of the very best kind. – by Rhetta Akamatsu, USA
Please tell us a little about why you wrote this book: I’ve spent the last 13 winters in Tenerife, escaping  from chilly Austria.  I wanted to celebrate its varied and wonderful environment, by writing tall tales about what might happen in different locations there, all identified on a map in the book.

Which passage from your book is your personal favorite? I like this one:  I don’t remember my funeral but I recall thinking about it on waking up again this morning, or whenever it was.

But maybe this one more:  The professor examined the squeaking little creature closely. “I suspect there are several new species of dinosaurs in the MicroPark now.  They're hiding in the jungle and even when they come out occasionally, they’re too small for us to see them.  I don't think they are vegetarians. The bones we see now are picked clean and not broken at all, like we get with the larger predators.  These new ones must be smaller, maybe a lot smaller."

What makes your book stand out in the crowd?  I believe it is unique in its setting, with an introduction by the legendary SF author Harry Harrison, and it was the SF category winner in the 2009 New York ‘Best Read on the Beach’ Festival contest.

How long have you been a writer? My first story was published in NEBULA Science Fiction, back in 1952.

What has your experience been as a self-published author?  Since 2007, fascinating, but I find the promotional side takes far more time than the actual writing.

Do you have another book on the way that we can look forward to reading? Yes, Volume 2 in the Tenerife Tall Tales trilogy has just been published and volume 3 will follow later on this year.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to self-publish?  It’s all uphill, but keep at it, and never give up.

Please tell us a little about your other books that are available: From the 18 odd titles  currently featured on my website - www.tonythorne.com  there’s  Macabre Tales, Robots Included, Tall SF Tales for Teenagers, How to be a Chief Executive (satire),  Inside Information (comedy), Spellbound (fantasy).

Author Bio: I am an Englishman, born and technically educated in London, England, and now living in Austria; but in the winter, in the warmer Canary Island of Tenerife. I originally qualified as a Chartered Design Engineer and subsequently created a well-known British company specialising in Applied Physics products.  For developments in the field of low temperature (cryo)surgery instruments, and very high temperature (carbon fibre) processing furnaces, the Queen awarded me an MBE.

Earlier in life I also wrote and sold some science-fiction and humorous stories, was an active SF Fan, and a spare time lecturer for the British Interplanetary Society.  I have since written and published poetry, plus papers and articles for several technical publications.  After many subsequent business adventures, including the development of AI computer software for business applications, and animated computer graphics set to music, I now write quirky speculative yarns; mostly Science Fiction and Macabre tales, with a novel and over 100 short stories on file.

book

Author Interview: Valerie Bowen

Self Published Authors is thrilled to introduce you to Valerie Bowen, an author who has dared to broach a subject that most people want to shy away from.  Your book, Toremented For the Sake of Amelia sounds amazing! 

Author Name: Valerie Bowen

Book Title: Tormented For the Sake of Amelia 

Book Price: ebook $2.99 paperback $12.00

Where can you book be purchased? barnesandnobel.com for the nook, amazon.com for the paperback and the kindle, smashwords.com all ebook formats and lulu.com for paperback and hard cover

Book review:  Kandi Naef writes: I just finished "For The Sake of Amelia Tormented" and if my 8 fingers were thumbs then I would give you,10 thumbs up!!!
I absolutely love this story line and I literally can't wait to read the next two books in this series.
You are now added to my "Favorite Author List"!  When can I get part 2 and 3 of the series?
 Excellent read!  Well done Valerie :)

How would you describe your book? Drama with strong elements of suspense and romance.

What is the main thing you want your readers to bring away from reading your novel? I would love for the reader to grasp the concept that no matter how dire a situation may be there is always hope. 

Which Character is your favorite and why? There are many characters in this novel that are strong and likable, but I would have to say my absolute favorite would have to be Kyle Talbot. He is willing to do what ever it takes to keep Amelia safe. He has unconditional love for Amelia and at times goes way overboard. He is a strong man that is not afraid to show his emotions (happy, sad or controlling). He goes way overboard with his protection which forces Amelia to go to drastic measures. 
 

What made you write this particular novel?  I initially began this project as a one book project.  I wanted abused women to realize their situation is not completely hopeless. I also wanted to get the point across that if you don't possess the strength within yourself to escape from a dangerous situation you will positively end up dead. In this set of novels I show the reader abusive men most always feel they own women and they can do whatever they want to do for their warped enjoyment. It takes strength to overcome evil, you have to be strong and depend on yourself to escape the madness. With the love of good friends and their strength you can overcome your fears and live the life you have always dreamed of living.

How have you progressed in your journey as a writer? Although this is my first novel, I do feel I have grown as an author. With all the writes and rewrites I have done to complete this book and to make the characters absolutely life like. I have had many compliments from readers stating the characters were like friends; this to me was the best compliment a writer can get. To make your characters believable and to make the reader connect with them is a feat in itself. When the reader explains they hate a character (villain) then that also makes me feel good as a writer. I have completed three other novels and find the Amelia series is somewhat like a baby to me. 

Have you had a good experience with self-publishing? Although this is my first novel I have self published, I felt the process was easy. I formatted the e-books myself through smashwords.com which by the way has a great step by step guide. I also chose to format the book myself as a paperback on lulu.com which also was very easy. All the work of self formatting has resulted in the final cost for publishing to be $0.00. I have learned with a little work you can save money and it also made me feel better about my project.

Do you have any other books in the pipeline? As a matter of fact I have the final two manuscripts completed for the Amelia series. Inhibition should be published sometime in January of 2012. Retribution, the final installment of the series is also completed and should be published in the spring of 2013. I also have just completed a novel for young adults titled Faerie Wishes, this is a novel that teaches the importance of being happy with your life. It also teaches that not every wish turns out the way you have planned, sometimes they can kill you. I know that may sound morbid, but in this novel no one actually dies, but one does come close. It also teaches the importance of love and having the strength to do the right thing to save the life of someone who is your world. 

Any words of wisdom for future authors? Don't get discouraged! Not everyone likes every book. What is good to you may not be good to me. We each have our favorite authors and authors we wouldn't read if they were the last books on earth. Enjoy your writing, believe in yourself and mostly have fun. I believe if you read your book after you have set it aside for a few weeks/months and go back to it, you can look at it through clearer eyes. If you can't see the setting in your mind, change it. If you can't picture the person in your head add more detail. This is my description of a whipping, I have worked this through until I could almost feel the pain she was going through: ...Each snap of the whip tore through her fragile skin as if it was a razor, causing blood and tissue to spew across the barn as it was pulled back and readied for the next lash. The blood gushed from her small body causing a pool to form around her. She slid in the pool of sticky liquid as she frantically tried to crawl away. Ray growled, “Whore”. He snapped the whip repeatedly until her back was completely raw and she was huddled in a pool of deep red blood. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she silently cried not willing to give him the satisfaction of hearing her screams. He demanded, “Get up, bitch,” The pain was excruciating as she tried to appease the madman towering above her. She wearily knelt in the pool of the sticky wet liquid. With one hand on the concrete floor and the other still tied to the rope she lost consciousness.

Author Bio: I was born in the beautiful state of Maine where most of the novel takes place. I now live in Connecticut with my son Matthew and my daughter Janeice. 

book

Author Interview: Don Ford

Self Published Authors is proud to present Don Ford, an author who uses both humor and poetry to bring his stories to life!  It has been a delight to meet Don and I look forward to hearing about his future success!

Author Name:  Don Ford

Book Title:  Funny Business

Book Price:  $9.95

Where is your book available for purchase?  Soon to be submitted.

Book Description:  These are a compilation of stories, poems both facts and fiction in the mix.

What inspired you to write this book?  This is the first of 18 to go to market in the future.  I am a prolific storyteller, so even my poetry is storytelling.  My goal is to inspire young writers and to turn a few frowns right side up.  Life needs LAUGHTER!

I see you like to mix up your writing styles.  Why have you chosen to do this?  For every story there are several types of readers.  I write in different genres too for the purpose of adding a greater readership and following.

Which passage from your book is your favorite?   I was scratching my head once, which I find myself doing a lot lately. I found a pronounced crease on the left side of my head, where I part my hair. (now everyone reading this please check yours.) This could be the proof I need that extraterrestrial life had entered my brain. However, I don't feel any dumber than before. 

Why did you become a writer?  I fell into it.  My parents separated when I was 15 and I found poetry an easy vent for my young emotions and I've been writing ever since.

What is one fun fact that your readers might like to know about you?   I love kids, which becomes quite apparent when you watch me interact with them. One day my son came home from High School and said: "Dad, I don't know what's wrong with my friends in school, they all like you."  LOL.  Now that he is no longer a teen, he likes his old dad too.

What company did you go through to self-publish?  Did you have a good experience?  I'm presently with Solstice Publishing for my short story e-book "Royal Ferdinand". See it HERE.  I have a great relationship with them after a year. Now they have signed me to a three year deal with this same Children's Tale.

Do you have any advice for up and coming authors?  Yes, Send nothing out that isn't your best work. Write and write until it shines.  Also, catalog in a story library all of your writings and always have a hard copy or backup for you creations.                                                                       

Author Bio:  I am a storyteller from my Native American roots.  I am Greywolf.

Now that I have established myself as a published writer, and have a few international pieces under my belt, I am combining my statement to join together my stories and my art.   All of the work of writing and art has put me on a better road to success, which is not always about the monetary benefits.  I hope to speak to many with my words and my art.
Where eagles fly,
Don Ford (Greywolf)

Author website:  http://www.cnyartists.com/DonFord81

book

150 Guests!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!  All of you writers out there are super stars!  I'm so pleased to announce that in less than 4 days I have been visited by 150 people!  How amazing is that?

It just goes to show that when you are willing to step out and lend a hand to your fellow writers that amazing things can happen!  Thank you all so much for visiting.  I can't wait to share with you the backlog of writers that are flooding my email.  They each have such amazing stories!

If you, or someone you know, is interested in promoting their published or soon to be published book send me an email at DefianceRising@live.com  Or if you would like to swap interviews please contact me!

And don't forget to check out my book, Defiance Rising at http://www.amazon.com/Defiance-Rising-ebook/dp/B005G0NLIC  It's only $1.89. 

book

Author Interview: Rona Go

Self Published Authors is proud to present Rona Go, an author who has written a book that I’m personally excited to read and review!  Thank you Rona for taking the time to tell us a little more about yourself!

Author Name: Rona Go
 Book Title: Not Quite Godly

Book Price: $ 4.99

Where can your book be purchased? Available on ebook retailers online
 

Book Review:   "The book surprised me because I expected it to be dark, the kind of books I wouldn't have picked to read. However, it turned out to be funny and romantic—just my cup of tea. You will laugh in every scene where Michaela is (even in the scene when they are battling). I like the part when Zandro and Michaela were given the chance to be alone—it was so uber-romantic!"

Review provided from Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/184279946  

Book Description:  The prophecy was made flesh. Michaela is the devil incarnate. However, she chooses to hurt and love even without the idea of God. Half of the earth needs her. As she discovers she has an evil nature, she trains from being a supernumerary character to the prototype of a villain to vanquish her evil self along with the other half of the earth who wants her dead. Will she end up saving the day and finding true love?

Where did you get the idea for Not Quite Godly?  I never really planned for Not Quite Godly to materialize the way it did. All I knew from the beginning of writing the book was the purpose of reaching out the young generation in the language that they speak. At the moment of its conception —vampires, werewolves  and zombies were the "in" thing. That was when a devil-incarnate popped to mind, thus Not Quite Godly was given life.   

Which Character is your favorite?  The female lead character, Michaela is my favorite. She seemed to have a mind of her own apart from what I have conceived her to be. It almost felt like I made an imaginary friend in Michaela.

I also like another character named Apollion. He is just the type of guy most ladies want to end up with but never do. Nevertheless, Apollion is the kind of guy I can consider—the one—no matter who you end up with.  If you're a romantic I think you will know what I mean.   

What is your writing style?  Best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert gave a talk on Ted about nurturing creativity and discussed that all of us "have" a genius. 

My writing style is basically letting the genius within me run amok. Then, I tweak and nip and let the story live on its own. 

What makes Not Quite Godly stand out from the crowd?  There is the underlying Christian theme in Not Quite Godly which most readers will only find in the works of Ted Dekker, Eric Wilson or Mike Duran. While their works are geared for a more mature audience, Not Quite Godly would like to reach out the younger ones. With a lighter mood and romantic scenes, Not Quite Godly is something that they will enjoy. Its unique property is like having a feast instead of having a holy celebration of their faith.   

Do you plan to write a sequel to Not Quite Godly?  There is a sequel to Not Quite Godly.  However, I am still completing another novel, The Healer's Blood, which I plan to release by 2012.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?  Self-publishing can be daunting if you focus on what traditional publishing can offer in terms of marketing and getting your book out there. However, self-publishing can be a great experience of creation. You get to meet a lot of people who are willing to hold your hand and co-create with you.

Amy, for one, with this site, is a gift to me and to all the other self-published authors.       

Do you have any advice for up and coming authors?  There are a million and one of us out there. However, we write because we believe the dream of being a writer is embedded deep within us by a source that can only be higher than us. We may encounter times when we do not believe in ourselves anymore.  But you will be surprised—because the dream is bigger than us—so believe in your dreams.

Something about Rona Go:  One of Rona Go's favorite phrases is from a study of Dostoevsky's work by William Hamilton — Banished from the land of unity — inspiring her ideas of a protagonist as one who is heroic  and dark at the same time and her preference for a villain as your regular villain but with a heart.

With a strong background in Philosophy and Theology, Rona Go envisions her writing career positioned in the general market with the elements of her Christian faith experience as her potent trademark. Visit www.ronagobooks.com to connect with Rona.

book

Author Interview: Andrew Crofts

Self Published Authors welcomes novelist, Andrew Crofts.  It's been a pleasure to meet you Andrew.  We look forward to hearing how you fare with your new book. 

Author:  Andrew Crofts

Book Title:  The Fabulous Dreams of Maggie de Beer

Book Price:  Still to be decided, but probably $0.99

Where will you book be available for purchase?  It is going to go up on the Smashwords site to start with and work outwards from there.

Book Description:  The novel is written in the form of a memoir by Maggie de Beer.

Fifteen year-old Maggie arrives in London on the run from her humdrum suburban life, determined to make it big in show business.

For more than thirty years she is exploited by both men and the media. She struggles against endless set-backs and disappointments, always remaining optimistic, always believing that this time her big break has come.  Then, when most of us would have given up all hope, the celebrity circus rockets her to bizarre and unexpected pinnacles of fame. 

Starting in 1970 Maggie de Beer’s journey mirrors the rise of celebrity culture and the growth of the media which ruthlessly created it, exploiting and destroying the lives of girls like Maggie who willingly offered themselves up, happy to make any amount of personal sacrifices in exchange for a chance to live the dream. She is determined to make herself “interesting” and only when she finally achieves her goal, at enormous personal cost, does she discover, under the full glare of the media spotlight, that the family she was running away from was never as humdrum as she had believed.

The Fabulous Dreams of Maggie de Beer sounds fascinating.  What drove you to write this novel?

I first wrote one called "The Overnight Fame of Steffi McBride", which was published in the conventional way by Blake Publishing. Maggie was a major character in that one and I felt she deserved to have her story told too.

What one thing would you like your readers to know about your new novel?

It is the story of a woman who just wanted to be recognised and loved by the public.

Why do you think The Fabulous Dreams of Maggie de Beers stands out among other novels of the same genre?  It is written in the same style that I might have used if I had ghostwritten for Maggie, were she a real person. I hope that gives it an added reality and an authenticity.

How did you become a writer?

I have been writing ever since I left school about forty years ago. I would do any sort of writing that would pay the bills.

What's one fun fact that your readers might not know about you?

 I took tea with Mrs. Mubarak in Cairo a little while before the Egyptian people toppled her husband, President Mubarak, and the "Arab Spring" started to break through.

Have you had a good experience so far with self-publishing?

I have self published a couple of books for ghostwriting clients, but in the traditional paper form. Both have been very satisfactory because the clients knew exactly what they wanted to do with the finished products. This is my first venture into e-books.

Do you have any advice that you'd like to pass on to new authors?

Never, never give up and do as many interesting things as possible in order to have plenty to write about.

Author Bio:  After leaving Lancing College at 17 (a school where other writers included Evelyn Waugh, Sir Tim Rice, David Hare, Christopher Hampton and Tom Sharpe), I went to London to try to make my living from writing. I ran a modeling agency for a while. I worked as a travel writer, visiting places like the Caribbean, the South Pacific and the Far East. I was also a business writer, a novelist and a ghostwriter. I am married with four adult children and live in the countryside outside London. 

book